Sinfulness and Forgiveness

Temple Baptist Church - 3-12-2014

1 John 1:8-10

 

Introduction:

A. Before we take a look at verses 8-10, we need to establish something.

1. The context of chapter 1 is that of fellowship. The word “fellowship” is found 4x in the preceding verses. Salvation is not mentioned in this chapter at all. 1 John is written to “my little children.” Chapter 2:1 makes this perfectly clear as the Holy Spirit said, “My little children, these things write I unto YOU, that YE sin not.”

2. The forgiveness offered in chapter 1 is in light of fellowship. Verse 9 is not a safeguard against losing your salvation. The forgiveness of verse 9 is a gracious remedy for sinfulness that breaks fellowship, the cleansing of all unrighteousness, and opens the door for the blessings of God to flow.

3. Fellowship can be broken but relationship cannot. I will give you verses but a great analogy is that of the parent-child relationship. Our children are born unto us and that birth establishes a relationship that cannot be broken. They cannot be unborn and their DNA cannot be changed. Mom and Dad, like it or not they are YOURS!

4. When fellowship is broken between the parent and child, there must be either confession and forgiveness or chastening. Restoration of that parent-child fellowship is essential to happiness, communion, and blessings restored. The relationship is never in question.

B. There is salvation’s forgiveness is both singular in its occurrence and eternal in its duration. I will not spend a lot of time here as you and I know that salvation is eternal, therefore, it cannot be lost. Otherwise it CANNOT be eternal! We are not put on probation; we are gloriously, eternally saved!

Romans 10:9-13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. (10) For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (11) For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. (12) For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. (13) For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

John 10:27-30 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: (28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. (29) My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. (30) I and my Father are one.

1 John 5:11-13 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. (12) He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. (13) These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

C. God is light and in Him is no darkness at all, therefore, sinful man must have a way to maintain fellowship with Him and that is what our verses are all about.

1. Confession of the reality of sinfulness in the flesh. Vs. 8, 10.

a. Sinfulness is more than just a probability! If we say we have no sin, we have made God a liar and his word of truth is not in us. Notice that these verses are written to God’s “little children,” not to the lost. We that are saved are still sinners.

b. We must come face to face with the fact of our sinfulness and desire forgiveness.

Ecclesiastes 7:20 For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

2. There must be honest confession of our sinfulness. Vs. 9.

a. Confession means to agree with God about our sin. It is not, Lord, forgive me if I have sinned; it is not, Lord, I know I have sinned but not as badly as others that I know; it is, Lord, I have sinned against Thee and Thee only! My sin is wicked and I am ashamed.

b. Confession must be coupled with repentance. It is not, Lord, I know that I have sinned and will probably do it again; it is, Lord, I have sinned and, by the grace of God, will do so no more. Godly sorrow worketh a repentance not to be repented of.

Luke 18:11-13 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. (12) I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. (13) And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.

3. Confession must be made to the right Person! Vs. 9

a. Confession of sin is not to be made to man! We do not live in the age of the Priesthood as we now are individual priests and can go directly to God for forgiveness. Only God can forgive sin.

b. Confession is to be made through our Mediator and Advocate, the Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (We do not pray to priests, idols, or to Mary for forgiveness. There is ONE MEDIATOR, Christ Jesus! Mediator – a go betweem. He is our Buffer!)

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: (Advocate - a person who argues for the cause of another person.)

4. Confession must desire the right result! Vs. 9.

a. The cleansing of all unrighteousness. We must want to be clean and holy before the Lord.

b. The restoration of the fellowship that we had with the Lord before sin took its toll.